Increased Velo Connects Poncini With Quinnipiac

HEBRON, Ct. - Even Michael Poncini was surprised.

“You had them talking, you had them talking,” his coach said after throwing at a PBR showcase in August.

So much so, that interest in the RHAM junior soared.

“I’d talked to schools before PBR but after pitching at the event, a couple hours after a bunch reached out,” Poncini related.

UConn, Bryant, Rhode Island and Quinnipiac became the main four schools considered by the 31st-rated 2022 in New England, all after the Tri-County Legion Showcase.

“I hit okay,” Poncini noted.

But it was his performance on the mound that drew attention.

“I was the last one to pitch and got up to 87,” Poncini said. “My top before was 84 in March. It caught me by surprise. Nothing was under 85. My curve was also pretty good and so was my change.”

The reason for increased velo?

“I took a month to rest at the start of quarantine, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Poncini explained. “But I still got in the weight room and did arm care programs. I grew a lot as well, putting on 10-15 pounds and gaining an inch or two.”

It also changed the position outlook for the third-ranked New England junior third baseman.

“I’ve been a hitter my whole life but my main focus after the PBR event is pitching,” Poncini said. “I still may hit, but that’s my main focus.”

Trips to the four colleges helped bring an assessment of where is best for the future.

“Quinnipiac was the last one I went to and immediately when I stepped on campus I knew it was where I wanted to go,” Poncini pointed out about the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school located an hour from his home in Hebron. “URI is a little big, I wasn’t as connected. Bryant was small, like a big high school. Quinnipiac was in between which was a perfect fit for me. They have a good business school and that locked the decision.

“I talked to (pitching) coach (Pat) Egan that night and two nights later they gave me an offer,” Poncini added.

A fresh arm helped attract Quinnipiac to the 6-3 185-pound right-handed pitcher.

“I haven’t pitched a lot in my life,” Poncini noted. “If I did, it was only for one inning. They like my projectability.”

It was the summer of 2019 that Poncini began pitching seriously.

“I threw hard for a freshman,” Poncini reflected. “I topped at 83 that summer and was a closer on my team. I was closer this summer, too. In the fall of this year I’ve been a middle reliever.”

Improvement has been big along the way.

“I’ve worked on developing more of a slider than a curve, that plays better for me,” explained Poncini, who also features a changeup in his offspeed repertoire. “My mechanics are a little faster. A little more whipping has helped me out a lot.”

Poncini acknowledges where there is a need to improve.

“The main focus for me is gaining endurance for pitching to be able to go more than two or three innings,” Poncini noted. “I may be a starter, so I need to do that. I also need to work on a better sequence, but the main thing for me is to get more innings by the time I get to college.”

His parents, high school coach Paul Steiner and assistant Evan Chamberlain, Legion coach Len Lampugnale, hitting coach Matt Grosso and pitching coach Mike Hepple are credited by Poncini with playing major roles in the journey to becoming a Division I college commit.

“My parents introduced me to the sport,” Poncini related. “My dad and I built a batting cage when I was in fourth grade and put a pitching mound in there. I’d work at it every day.

“My legion coach set up PBR with Trevor Brown (PBR Connecticut Director of Scouting) and he’s been the go-between with colleges. All my past coaches, everyone has helped me get better and become a better person.”

And with it the dream of going on to play at the next level.

“My goal has been to play Division I college baseball since I started playing,” the 16-year-old said. “After my freshman year of high school I realized it was possible. I batted fourth and hit around .300. But it wasn’t until this summer when I realized I can play.

“Once I went to the PBR event everything took off. It was a quick process, it only took a couple of weeks after that.”

An increased pitching velocity benefited immensely.

“My goal before the event was to sit 85,” Poncini admitted. “I knew I’d do okay hitting, but my main focus was pitching. I threw a lot faster than I thought I would. I prepped a lot before and that helped a lot.”

And when his coach said “you had them talking, you had them talking” - what was your response?

“I said what, and he said 87,” Poncini related. “I was shocked.”

An offer and commitment came soon after for Poncini, who carries a 3.5 GPA and plans to major in business at Quinnipiac.

“At first I thought it would be me reaching out to colleges and it would be a slow process,” Poncini said. “But after the PBR event I realized how fast it could go with phone calls to coaches. I wasn’t even sure I was going to play Division I and only a couple weeks later I was making a commitment.”